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 During the season Flounder can be found in the ICW of Barnegat Bay as well as Oyster Creek, Mud Channel, Double Creek, and Myers Hole. Schooling flounder start exiting toward the ocean in late April to early May,
In any of these locations, you’ll find the flounder in three basic types of bottom: mud flats, channels and holes. These fish will hold in the deeper channels, holes and the mouths of main tidal creeks until they come up to feed on the shallow flats during certain tides or times of day. I prefer to fish the flats regularly, because the sun heats the mud there and gets the flounder active. Muscle beds are another good spot. Broken and crushed mussels and clams provide an easy meal.
Now that I told you some places where to fish, what can you do to improve your catch?
Always double anchor, Drop your chum pots to the bottom and up current from where you’ll throw your lines, because the slick will fall back to your hooked baits and draw the flounders’ attention.
 Tackle is mostly a personal preference. Flounder are relatively small and provide the most action when caught on light tackle use a light to ultra light spinning or conventchail rods with 6- to 12-pound-test monofilament line. Flounder are curious creatures, often looking for movement as a sign of a potential meal, and the yellow sinkers can help grab their interest, especially when bounced on the bottom at times.
Bait should consist of Bloodworms, Sandworms, Clams and Mussels. Don't cut the bait too big remember that Flounder have a small month.
Keeping your boat steady over a hole or bank will produce the best results, especially when you’re chumming. You don't want your boat to be moving all over. After your first day out, while cleaning your catch, check the contents of the stomach. This will give you a good idea of what bait to bring out on your next trip.
Play the tides. Flounder become most active 1 to 2 hours before or after slack high or dead low.
Stir up the bottom Bounce a weight or take a toilet plunger and attach a long handle and bounce it off the bottom around your boat by bouncing your plunger and sinkers, you’re stirring up the mud which is then flowing down current. The flounder see this and with the scent of chum in the water, they will go looking for baits!
Once in a while give your chum pot a good shake. If the fishing is slow, you may want to chum a little heavier also, smash a handful of clam shells around your boat Patience don’t jump around between too many locations. Stick it out for a little bit. Give your chum time to work. Don’t be afraid to go off away from the fleet. A fleet of boats sitting on one spot will eventually diminish the stock. Find a spot where nobody is fishing or hasn't fished. The more time you fish the more fish you will catch. If you have the opportunity to fish with somebody who knows what he or she is doing, watch and learn. Flounder fishing is not something that you’ll pick up overnight, but simple tricks of the trade that you’ll learn from the experienced will make all the difference.
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THE VESSEL
